A
Message from Judith Shapiro
President, Barnard College
Over
the past week, we have all been able to take
pride and solace in the strength of our community,
as all of us have sought ways to be of help
in this crisis. We have given much needed support
to one another. We have learned of some painful
losses to the extended Barnard family, and will
set aside a time and a place to memorialize
them. All in all, our community has been fortunate
in that respect. There have been many stories
of miraculous escapes.
Yesterday
evening, we held the first of our community
forums, organized by the Provost's Office, on
"In Terrorism's Wake." Students, faculty, staff
and administrators gathered together in the
Julius Held Lecture Hall for a discussion led
by eight members of our faculty, who shared
the insights of their respective fields. Political
science, history, anthropology, literature,
religion, and the arts were represented. Participation
from those in the audience was thoughtful and
heartfelt. All who spoke, whether in the form
of prepared remarks, comments, responses or
questions, gave testimony to the complexity
of the world we live in and the need for understanding
of human society.
Now,
as we must move from our first reactions of
horror and grief to an attempt to understand
these terrible events and how to respond to
them, we can be even more grateful for the kind
of community in which we are privileged to live.
The life of an academic institution revolves
around the search for truth and understanding.
The vocation of our faculty is to serve as guides
in that search; their primary audience is their
students, but, in fact, we are all a part of
this mission. All of us at Barnard should contribute
to it and benefit from it.
There was one moment at the end of yesterday's
forum that was especially moving. A question
had come up, in the context of the glaring inequalities
in life conditions between the United States
and other parts of the world, as to whether
students would be willing to give up the privilege
of being at a place like Barnard to achieve
more fairness in the distribution of wealth
and opportunity in the world. This was a hard
question for many to wrestle with. The last
student to speak said that she would rather
give up anything else, other than Barnard, because
it was a place that took her out of a narrow,
provincial world into one where she has learned
to ask question, to think carefully, to seek
answers, and to be close to people very different
from herself. We can never forget the responsibilities
we bear by virtue of the good fortune we enjoy.
It gladdens the heart to hear this, but also
reminds us of what we must live up to.
The
next forum will take place at noon on Friday,
in the Lehman Auditorium of Altschul Hall (also
known as Altschul 202). I hope to see as many
of you there who can come -- I know many of
you have other obligations. We will continue
to find ways for the community to come together
to share their thoughts, experience, and wisdom.
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